Toner container capable of facilitating cleaning task before reuse, image forming apparatus, and manufacturing method of toner container

Abstract

A toner container includes a cylindrical portion, an opening portion, a shutter portion, a bias portion and a lock portion. The cylindrical portion is formed in a cylindrical shape elongated in an insertion direction with respect to an image forming apparatus. The opening portion is provided at an outer circumferential portion of the cylindrical portion. The shutter portion is provided to be movable between a cover position at which the shutter portion covers the opening portion on an outer side of the cylindrical portion and an evacuation position evacuated from the cover position toward an upstream side of the insertion direction. The bias portion biases the shutter portion in the insertion direction. The lock portion locks the shutter portion at the evacuation position.

1 . A toner container, comprising:
 a cylindrical portion formed in a cylindrical shape elongated in an insertion direction with respect to an image forming apparatus;   an opening portion provided at an outer circumferential portion of the cylindrical portion;   a shutter portion provided to be movable between a cover position at which the shutter portion covers the opening portion on an outer side of the cylindrical portion and an evacuation position evacuated from the cover position toward an upstream side of the insertion direction;   a bias portion which biases the shutter portion in the insertion direction; and   a lock portion which locks the shutter portion at the evacuation position.   
     
     
         2 . The toner container according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 a sealing portion which is provided along an edge portion of the opening portion and fills a gap between the shutter portion arranged at the cover position and the opening portion.   
     
     
         3 . The toner container according to  claim 1 , wherein
 at the evacuation position, the shutter portion is provided to be movable between an unlock position at which a movement along the insertion direction is allowed and a lock position set apart from the unlock position along an outer circumference of the cylindrical portion, and   the lock portion comes into contact with the shutter portion arranged at the lock position to latch the movement of the shutter portion in the insertion direction.   
     
     
         4 . An image forming apparatus, comprising:
 the toner container according to  claim 1 .   
     
     
         5 . A manufacturing method of a toner container including a cylindrical portion formed in a cylindrical shape elongated in an insertion direction with respect to an image forming apparatus, an opening portion provided at an outer circumferential portion of the cylindrical portion, a shutter portion provided to be movable between a cover position at which the shutter portion covers the opening portion on an outer side of the cylindrical portion and an evacuation position evacuated from the cover position toward an upstream side of the insertion direction, a compression coil spring which encloses an outer circumference of the cylindrical portion at a position more on the upstream side of the insertion direction than the shutter portion and biases the shutter portion in the insertion direction, a lock portion which locks the shutter portion at the evacuation position, and a sealing portion which is provided along an edge portion of the opening portion and fills a gap between the shutter portion arranged at the cover position and the opening portion, the manufacturing method comprising:
 a first step of attaching the compression coil spring to the cylindrical portion;   a second step of attaching the shutter portion after the first step;   a third step of locking the shutter portion at the evacuation position using the lock portion; and   a fourth step of attaching the sealing portion after the third step.